Gaming the new ground rents ban by introducing them at the last possible minute was damaging to the entire retirement housing sector and “we need this like a hole in the head”, said the Association of Retirement Community Operators at its annual conference yesterday. Michael Voges, ARCO chief executive, deplored bad practices in retirement housing […]
Retirement housing won’t grow until oldies are offered a product that they can trust, says head of ARCO
May 8, 2023 By
By Michael Voges, CEO of the Association of Retirement Community Operators The leasehold system in retirement housing is flawed and ensures that consumers taken on all the risk of future costs at a site, Michael Voges, the CEO of ARCO told the APPG on 27 March 2023. “ARCO commissioned a YouGov poll and found that […]
Taking over from Bob Bessell as head of Retirement Security retirement community provider: What we offer and why
May 8, 2023 By
Melanie Gowers is the newly appointed chief executive of Retirement Security Limited, a retirement housebuilder founded by Bob Bessell, a trustee of the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership Bob Bessell, a former head of Warwickshire social services, became a retirement housebuilder and set up Retirement Security. He has undertaken to leave the freeholds to his sites in […]
Legal and General explains why it is investing in Inspired Villages, and wants reforms to the sector
May 8, 2023 By
Ben Rosewell, Legal and General, Head of Investment Later Living Business (Inspired Villages), addresses the All Party Parliamentary Group on leasehold and commonhold reform on 27 March 2023 and explains why Legal and General is investing in this sector, and why it wants to see changes We entered into the senior housing space in 2017 […]
Pensioner loses £130,000 to escape Roseland Parc Retirement Village. But it is worth it, she says …
March 7, 2021 By
A leaseholder in Roseland Parc Retirement Village, Cornwall, is facing a £130,000 loss on a £350,000 flat in order to move out, but says it is worth it. Eileen Osborne, 72, moved into the property more than 10 years ago, but has now purchased another home locally and has moved out. She is trying to […]
Family outraged by £50,000 exit fee at Retirement Villages’ Mayford Grange
January 7, 2019 By
But a cash loss from purchase of only £5,000 is not THAT bad, in UK retirement housing … By Sebastian O’Kelly Yet again retirement housing is in the news: this time Retirement Villages charging £50,000 in exit fees to a family who sold a two-bedroom flat at Mayford Grange, in Woking in Surrey. The Sunday […]
Move beyond feudal leases, says Association of Retirement Community Operators
December 14, 2018 By
A very good article by Michael Voges, who heads the Association of Retirement Community Operators – that is, Audley, Extra Care Charitable Trust, Retirement Security Limited, Anchor etc). Mr Voges writes: “The quality of services and staffing has by far the largest impact on whether customers will recommend a scheme to a friend, so services […]
APPG July 11: Robust debate over retirement ground rents and event fees
July 13, 2018 By
By Sebastian OKelly, LKP trustee The controversial issues of ground rents and exit fees in retirement housing were discussed at this week’s meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on leasehold and commonhold reform. These were the main event in a meeting which also had an insider’s examination of leasehold insurance commissions, and why developers […]
APPG July 11: Retirement event fees ‘align interests of buyers and operators’, Michael Voges tells meeting
July 13, 2018 By
By Michael Voges, executive director ARCO Retirement event fees – a term used to describe exit fees on re-sale – align interests of buyers and operators and are the business model for retirement housing in New Zealand, Australia and the US, said Michael Voges, executive director of the trade body the Association of Retirement Community […]
APPG July 11: The case for ground rents from McCarthy and Stone
July 13, 2018 By
By Clive Fenton, CEO McCarthy and Stone Hello, my name is Clive Fenton and until 31 August I’m the CEO of McCarthy & Stone. Thank you for inviting me here today. Today was never destined to be my easiest day in the office. I recognise that as a promoter of retaining ground rents for retirement […]
APPG July 11: Retirement fees whether ground rents or event fees need to be for designated services not open-ended profits, says AgeUK
July 13, 2018 By
And grounds cannot be set to zero but maintained in the retirement sector By Joe Oldman, AgeUK Age UK strongly supports extending the range of housing options available for older people – so we want to see a significant expansion in good quality retirement schemes and villages. We also recognise and appreciate the efforts of […]
ARCO conference offers a different vision to retirement housing, but …
July 7, 2018 By
There will be – and there are already – issues with big event fees The conference of the Association Retirement Community Operators in central London last week offered a fascinating alternative vision for the retirement housing sector to the one that we have. The organisation represents providers who build and manage their own sites, as […]
